Tag: Malta

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Gay Couple Murdered In Possible Bungled Burglary

L-R Christian Pandolfino, Ivor Maciejowski (image via Instagram)
A gay couple living in Malta were the victims of a grisly murder with no clear motive. Ivor Maciejowski and Christian Pandolfino were found dead from gunshot wounds in their home in Sliema around 10:30 pm on August 18. The Times of Malta reports that Pandolfino had gone to dinner with visiting family members while Maciejowski had remained at home. Pandolfino returned early on his own, and by the time his family arrived back at the residence, the two men were already dead. Surveillance footage reportedly shows three people leaving the crime scene, climbing into a car where a fourth person was waiting to drive them away. The website LovinMalta reports two people have been charged with the double murder, Daniel Muka and Victor Dragomanski. Police believe a third suspect might have fled the country. Pandolfino had worked as a doctor in the UK before transitioning into investment banking. He subsequently returned to Malta where he owned an extensive collection of art. Maciejowski, 30, was a contemporary art dealer who had run an online art gallery until last year. According to reports, the couple had been together for four years. An LGBTQ community Facebook page for Malta shared the news of the murders and initially, there were suspicions that the incident might have been a hate crime. But since then, there has been speculation that the murders might have been the result of a bungled burglary as the couple often showed off their art collection on social media.

The comments on the Facebook page reveal the couple, both avid bodybuilders, had been popular in the community and were often seen at MedAsia Playa beach club. One commenter wrote, “They were so kind to me,” and another responded saying, “Dear Chris and Ivor we shall miss you tremendously.” One friend described the couple as “beautiful, kind souls” and “amazing people that loved each other very much.” (Source: Times of Malta)

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Podcast: Malta Approves Marriage Equality; Broadway’s “Falsettos” In Movie Theaters; New Music From Superfruit

In this episode of The Randy Report podcast:

• The island nation of Malta approves marriage equality with a huge lop-sided Parliament vote

• An attempt to block health care for transgender military service members fails in Congress

• The filmed version of the recent Broadway revival of “Falsettos,” currently being shown in movie theaters across the country, will be extended

• Pop duo Superfruit drops a new music video for their latest – “Worth It (Perfect)”

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

For past episodes, or to subscribe to the podcast for free, click here.

And, by the way, please feel free to share The Randy Report podcast with friends. It’s a great way to catch up on the week’s LGBT political, pop culture and entertainment headlines in about 15 minutes 🙂

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Malta Approves Marriage Equality By Vote Of 66-1

The island nation of Malta became the 24th country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage today by as lawmakers in Parliament approved the measure 66-1.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who won a second term in office on June 3, campaigned on a promise to make marriage equality the first vote of the new Parliament.

Malta approved civil unions in 2014, and in December became the first country to ban “ex-gay” torture.

The one “no” vote came from a Christian politician who told reporters, “A Christian politician cannot leave his conscience outside the door when he enters parliament.”

A post shared by MarTina Farrugia (@qnb_teena) on Jul 12, 2017 at 12:38pm PDT

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Malta seeks to legalize civil unions today

Malta is expected to legalize civil unions today, giving gay couples the same rights as heterosexual couples in the predominantly Catholic country.

The legislation has created controversy in recent weeks as Malta‘s Labour government is attempting to make good on campaign promises regarding the legal recognition of same-sex couples.

The opposition Nationalist Party is expected to abstain from the vote, primarily because the legislation gives gay couples the right to adopt.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat described the change as a very important moment for Malta.

“This is the essence of equality, the apex of European values. It also shows that with political will, even a conservative society can boldly transform itself,” Muscat told dpa.

The very conservative country – 90% Catholic – only legalized divorce in 2011.

(source)